RESUMO
To determine the oral health knowledge and sources of information in a selected group of female school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The information about oral health knowledge and sources of information was collected through an especially designed questionnaire. A total of 202 children completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the children was 13.4 [SD 2.1] with a range of 10 to 16 years. A great majority [81.2%] of the children had heard about fluoride, more than half [55.4%] correctly identified the action of fluoride as preventing tooth decay. Almost all [97.0%] the children thought that sweets [chocolates/candies] could cause tooth decay. However, a large number of children were not aware of cariogenic potential of sweetened milk [64.4%] and soft drinks [14.4%]. Toothbrush [79.2%] was rated as the best cleaning aid followed by miswak [12.4%]. Most of the children [85.1%] thought that teeth should be cleaned after each meal. Fifty% of children reported that their parents had taught them how to brush properly. About one in every five children [22.30%] thought that one must visit the dentist only in case of toothache. Parents [49.0%] were the most popular source of oral health information followed by dentists [36.6%] and media [18.9%]. It can be concluded that the children need further oral health education in areas of caries and periodontal prevention, and there was a need to utilize schoolteachers and media to enhance their oral health knowledge